1-9: Sequoia sempervirens, as indicated. 10: Sequoia on the left, Abies grandis on the right. 11: Abies grandis in the center, Sequoia on the right. 12: Norway maple ringed by Cladrastis kentukea. 13: L to R: Thuja plicata, Calocedrus decurrens, Rhamnus (Frangula) purshiana. 14: Notice the lush appearance of the turf, on many soils here lawns dry up during summer and are otherwise thin and weedy. The bunching up into groves of the Thuja also indicates this part of the park is a moist, as does the prevalence of Abies grandis behind. Grand fir is favored by exposed bluffs - with horizontal seepage below the surface - along Puget Sound, where comparatively frequent blowing down of trees enables it to reproduce. And the nutrients and moisture support its growth. This species is a sort of coniferous cottonwood, more or less comparatively rapidly producing tall trunks but lacking the structural soundness and longevity of similarly lofty ones such as coast redwood and Douglas fir. In this picture you can see one of the grand firs over on the left has a forking, bushy top: this is common here, the tops of these breaking during high winds and forking to produce Christmas tree-like replacement tops. In other stands along Puget Sound nearly all the tall grand firs have this feature. 15: Thuja on the left, with Sequoia immediately behind. 16: Primarily Acer macrophyllum. 17: The fern-like ground plant is Mahonia nervosa. 18: Puget Sound, looking west. 19: Cedrus deodara. This species has been measured over 114' tall in Seattle. Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Squarrosa' on the right. 20-21: Douglas fir. 22: Bigleaf maple. 23: Yellow-wood. 24: Sequoiadendron. 25: Cladrastis again. 26: Grand fir. 27: The viburnum. 28: Abies grandis. The pectinate (comb-like) leaf arrangement is characteristic of seedlings and lower branches of adult trees. 29: I think these are Ailanthus altissima, but I may never have stopped and looked at them up close. 30: Bigleaf maple and Douglas fir. 31: Oaks. 32: Arbutus menziesii, Prunus avium. 33: Sierra redwood east of the park. 34: Oaks. 35-38: The yew. 39: Possibly burning bush, don't remember. 40: Pinus sylvestris, Acer macrophyllum.

Thanks for the nice words Jon, Ken, and Rick. Yeah, I know I planted them rather close. I'm coming around to the viewpoint that it'll be easier to move them in a few years than it would be to maintain them in containers over the same period. Container maintenance becomes a bit much (for me, at least) above a hundred container plants, and a major goal was to get a lot of plants into the ground. I'm planning for the next several years, not the next several decades like some of you folks. I don't mind moving them when the time comes, and I'll have more space opened up by then. Call it planting at the Fletcher density...well maybe not that close :o). I buy the pine bark nuggets by the bag; they're not available in bulk around here. Local garden centers and big box stores have them for ~$2.5-3.5 for a 2 cubic ft bag, so it comes out to a little bit more than bulk mulch delivered. It's worth it IMO for the aesthetic value and also for its greater longevity - the nuggets will last much longer than shredded hardwood mulch, which needs to be replaced every year or two. A side benefit is that its much faster to apply mulch from bags. -Alex

Toronado3800, I also bought my tree from Arbor Day, good stuff..(second set of pics after your original post) How old is the one you have growing? Mine is only around 2.5 years old and already 6.5 feet. Dax, the one you planted in 2001, got very large quick. Amazing! On that particular tree, do happen to remember if you cut the lower branches off for health reasons, or just to get that rounded trunk. I have heard from some people, that if you leave the bottom branches it gives more of a gnarly look. I am kind of debating wether to remove lower branches or just leave em on my tree? Can't wait to see your 2008 plantings get larger, going to be a sweet grove of them. After seeing everyones 'Ogon', I think I will be getting one in the spring. : ) J

They are so beautiful. I also fell in love with my ES this year. I have one with the dark pink flowers and another 2 still have new blooms on them (with a few old flowers lime green and dark pink). It is so interesting to see these multiple colors in one plant. I think the unusual warm Aug/Sept weather here helps too. My limelights (planted in early August)are just as beatiful, with light pink, lime green and white all one plant. The pinkish tint is so subtle and delicate and the flowers have the light sweet fragrance. Other people told me they did not experience these smell. But both of my LL have them and so wonderful. Enjoy! Vivian